Retention
by Hadican
Summary: They knew something was wrong when Yuzu began to write down her recipes.
1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:** Hm, I figured it'd be easier to do this through Karin's perspective, but _if_ I continue this the perspectives will more than likely shift between Karin, Ichigo, and Yuzu. Maybe even Isshin here or there. Unfortunately I don't have that much time to dedicate to a multi[chapter fic, or at least soon I won't. So for right now this is a One Shot, but there is always a chance to turn it into a multi-chapter fic. (Pft, it might even be updated soon, I'm a bit fickle when it comes to update schedules.) The ideas are there, just got to make them coherent, you know? Read and review if you wish!

Disclaimer: I don't own Bleach~

* * *

 **Chapter 1**

She noticed sometime in spring that Yuzu had begun to write down her recipes. That was unusual, Yuzu did everything by memory, and she had never needed to write them down before. It unsettled Karin to say the very least.

So the younger of the twins had asked her docile sister why she had written down the recipe.

The answer did not bode well.

"Ah, I seem to have forgotten," she said, light heartedly. As if forgetting something you did almost every day was nothing to worry about. Karin had seen through her sister's words in a millisecond and frowned.

Yuzu insisted it was just because she was tired and so Karin left it alone.

Then _it_ happened.

Yuzu had forgotten where the store she shopped at, ever since she had taken up the responsibilities of the household, was. She had wandered around, alone, for hours. To put it mildly the Kurosaki household had been in an uproar.

Both of her siblings had searched everywhere, since their old man was with a critically injured patient and could not leave, only to find her with tears building in her eyes and no groceries in her arms. At first they had thought she had been mugged, but after finding out that, that wasn't the case, a new worry settled in.

Now their big brother knew and he seemed to disappear even more, if that was at all possible. Their brother was hardly around these days, and Karin had a good idea of why. A very good idea.

Karin was frustrated. She knew her brother's duties were important, world changing even, but their sister was going through...Hell, she didn't know what Yuzu was going through and that was because the light haired girl hid it so well. If it was bothering her she never said, only offered gentle smiles, and...and since when had Yuzu started looking so exhausted all the time?

And now Karin was being consoled by Yuzu, and that was wrong, because Karin should be comforting her.

"It's alright Karin-chan," she murmured, patting her back gently. "I'm going to the doctor's soon and they'll be able to figure out what's wrong I'm sure."

Because their old man didn't know what was wrong. His face had looked stony and grim and that almost undid her. He knew something. Both him and their older brother knew something.

So going along with the charade for now, because Yuzu's health was more important than the secrets the two oldest of the household were keeping, an appointment was scheduled to visit the doctor's on Friday so as not to conflict with their schooling.

That was where they were now. Yuzu was sitting in the chair right next to hers. She'd refused to leave her twin's side ever since this whole mess had started. She felt selfish for being this way, but she just wanted to keep her sister safe...To spend time with her before-

The doctor came in and the grim look on his face had Karin swallowing thickly.

"I don't know what to say," the man began, all professional and business-like, yet slightly perturbed at his findings. "Medically speaking there is nothing wrong with you, Kurosaki Yu-"

"Bullshit!"

"Karin-" her father began.

"No!" she said, because she had been bottling up all this anguish and anger for too long. She was...she was useless in this situation. There was nothing she could do. She wasn't a specialist with this sort of thing, and about the only thing she was good at was beating people up and playing soccer. History was repeating itself, and she didn't know if she could-

Instantly she stood still as a statue as Yuzu's tentative hand found hers and squeezed.

"Karin-chan," and she flinched, flinched as if she had been burned. Yuzu's other hand rested gently on her shoulder. She thought her twin might say "everything will be alright" or "I'll be fine" but she didn't.

All she did was pull Karin into a proper hug and that was when the tears came. The dark haired girl all but shattered right then and there, in front of their father, in front of their brother, and screw it all she couldn't even be strong in this situation!

"That's enough, Karin-chan," her sister murmured, so quietly that she was sure every other occupant would have to strain to hear. "Quit feeling like you have to shoulder the burden alone."

Ichigo stood then and Yuzu was quick to catch him with an outstretched hand.

"And you too," she said, and it was around this time Karin realized the doctor had stepped out to give the family some privacy.

When she pulled back she noticed the tears in Yuzu's eyes.

"We'll g-get through this," she said, but her voice shook and she looked even frailer than before. Yet her eyes, her honey colored eyes that she shared with their brother and mother, burned with a fire despite she herself looking oh so weary. Tears ran down her face as she regarded them. "I'll...I'll try not to forget you b-but if I do, help me r-remember, please?"

And they all crumbled then and there at her quiet plea.

* * *

Kurosaki Yuzu suddenly found herself wrapped in the biggest of bear hugs by all of her family. Both Ichigo and Karin didn't even bother trying to fidget away from their father's embrace or grumble obscenities, and their father didn't try to goad his two hot headed children into a brawl. They just...they all just held each other.

It hadn't been this way for a long time, and the girl realized the significance of that. Since when had they really hugged each other like this?

Her throat tightened as she tried to remember, and the memory came sluggish and tar filled. It was fading around the edges, inches away from oblivion. Hair similar to hers, a smile that could light up the sky, and the demeanor of an angel. Who? She thought long and hard. Yes, their mother. There had been group hugs like this when mother was around.

She wondered fervently, how long she would know that for, but pushed it to the side for now to just enjoy this moment. If she could figure out a way to keep this in her memory, if she could find some way to stop this, she would put this moment in her heart forever.

* * *

 _To be continued..._


	2. Chapter 2

**Author's Note:** Well looky what we got here, girls and boys, an update. I wasn't actually planning on updating this soon, but here we are. Now I can't say for sure when this story will be updated. A couple of days, weeks, months? I honestly don't know at the moment, but I guess this is now a multi-chapter fic...Sweet lord save me now...Well, anyway, read, review, or stalk creepily from afar. Read and review if you wish!

Disclaimer: I don't own Bleach~

* * *

 **Chapter 2**

Yuzu woke up that morning feeling the same exhaustion she had been feeling for the past few days. Everything had begun to slow down ever since her diagnoses, or rather lack of diagnoses had been made known.

Despite her new condition she knew she needed to continue with her daily chores. She needed to keep as much normalcy in their household while she still could. There were moments when she would have to think for a while before finally remembering what she was doing, or what ingredients she needed to add to her dish. Sometimes that ended with something being slightly burned, but her family never complained.

She heard the door open and looked over to see her brother walking in. They locked eyes and he looked away slightly, before walking into the kitchen and ruffling her hair like he usually did. His hand lingered there for a moment, and she looked up at him through her bangs.

"Onii-chan?" she said, a bit confused. His hand dropped and she reached out to clasp his hand with her smaller one. He froze instantly, but didn't pull away. What a wonderful time to forget what she was going to say! Ah, she shouldn't be freaking out so much, he didn't look grumpy, so that meant that his day at school probably went off well. She missed going to school herself…Shaking her head she suddenly remembered what she was going to ask him. "Um…would you mind helping me out? You don't have to, especially if you're busy, but I could really use the help."

"Uh, sure," he said, and she released his hand.

"Thank you! Could you chop up the vegetables, please?" she requested, as she turned to grab the knife she had been planning to use for the process. Handing it to him carefully she set to work on making a broth. Some stock with salt and pepper to start off. She checked off the ingredients mentally, glad that she was still able to, and put them into the broth which had been brought to a boil.

Turning to look she beamed as she saw her brother's finished work. It wasn't half bad at all, and to think he often talked negatively about his cooking abilities.

"Thank you!"

Picking up the chopped vegetables she used the knife to scrap the veggies into the boiling pot. Once that was finished she placed the lid on top. Now it was just a waiting game.

Washing her hands and drying them she decided to try and strike up a conversation. It had felt like ages since she had been able to talk with him. He certainly had a lot of "after school activities" and was hardly home these days.

"How was school?" she asked, making sure that everything that was no longer being used was put back in its proper place.

"Fine…" she looked up at him and gave him her best knowing look.

"Ah, is onii-chan having girl troubles?" she asked, and smiled impishly as he sputtered. She was her father's daughter. Her sister and brother probably inwardly groaned every time she exhibited some of their father's goofy traits.

"That's not…" he trailed off, face on fire. "There isn't really…"

She nodded sympathetically.

"No need to explain anything to me, onii-chan." Her question was mostly to get that sad look off his face, and since that had worked she wasn't about to prod him any more on the subject. Her siblings were a lot alike, they would speak on subjects when they were ready and not before.

After her brother calmed down from his embarrassment a steady silence passed between them before Ichigo spoke.

"How are you feeling?"

She paused in her stirring of their dinner to look at him. Tell the truth and worry her brother, or lie and feel like a terrible person for the rest of her life…?

"I'm alright, onii-chan," she said, forcing as much cheer as she could. She added so she wouldn't feel so guilty for lying. "About as good as you could expect, I guess?"

Another pregnant pause.

"We'll figure out what's going on," she blinked as he spoke up. She looked at him and smiled gently. Both of her siblings often liked to shoulder things by themselves, so hearing him say "we" was a nice change. She believed with her whole heart that so long as they worked together the Kurosaki family could overcome anything. Even if that sounded so very childish to her own ears. "And we'll fix it, okay?"

"Of course!" she said, and she knew that her brother meant what he said. They would show this memory loss bug not to mess with the Kurosaki family for sure!

Suddenly a sensation not unlike an ice pick being smashed through a watermelon lanced through the back of her head. She choked on air in shock and felt her legs buckle beneath her.

"Yuzu!" Was that the floor? She was on the floor…That wasn't good. She needed to get up and remove the pot from the stove before dinner burned or caused a fire.

Someone turned her over. Who…who were they?

Fear clenched her heart. She didn't know who this person was! Orange hair…brown eyes. She should…She should know them. That feeling had her heart pounding. She should know them, but she could not place a name to the face. Why?

She needed to calm down and think. Taking in a shuttering breath she tried to compose herself. Closing her eyes, she began to think as hard as she could despite the dull pain in her head growing slightly worse at the effort.

Ichi…Ichigo? Yes, Ichigo, her…her brother.

"Onii-chan…?" she questioned, voice warbling near the end.

"Yuzu, can you hear me?" he sounded worried. She should say something to put his fears to rest, but her head was pounding. That was a symptom and she needed to let him know what was going on. Their father could use that information.

"Head hurts…" she managed between clenched teeth as another sharp pain stabbed through her head. The pain was growing steadily worse, and that did not sit well.

Her vision was beginning to grow fuzzy around the edges. She needed to stay awake, and that was becoming increasingly difficult. She felt that if she passed out then she would lose even more of her memory and that was truly frightening.

 _My name is Kurosaki Yuzu, my brother's name is Ichigo, my twin sister's name is Karin, and Isshin is our father…My name is Kurosaki Yuzu, my brother's name is Ichigo, my twin sister's name is Karin, and Isshin is our father…_

Tears bubbled up but she forced down her hysterics by taking in another shuddering breath. The girl tried to continue her mantra once more.

 _My name is Kurosaki Yuzu…my brother's name is Ichigo…my twin sister's name is…Karin? Our father…?_

 _My name…_

 _What…what is my name?_

* * *

 _To be continued..._


	3. Chapter 3

**Author's Note:** Gonna be honest, this took way to long, and the worst of it is that I'm still not too happy with it. Ah well, this is kind of a chapter just to get the plot moving a little more. Read and review if you wish!

Disclaimer: I don't own Bleach~

* * *

 **Chapter 3**

Isshin Kurosaki was busy filling out the paperwork of the patient that had been released from their clinic some time ago and moved to a bigger hospital. He slipped into critical condition and so Isshin had to remain with him until an ambulance arrived to take him to a larger hospital. The paper work was now being completed because the former shinigami captain had been distracted, and rightly so.

He had a lot to think about ever since Yuzu began to exhibit memory loss. The part that worried him the most was that he had no idea what was causig it, but upon hearing that a second opinion determined that there was nothing physically wrong with his middle child, Isshin moved to the spiritual.

Yet he could find no leads there either. No word of some sort of hollow with memory devouring abilities, or anything of the like. It worried him greatly.

He had spoken with Urahara on this matter and the former captain had promised to look into it. Now all he could do was wait, and he found himself, in the position of a worried parent doing just that.

Someone or, heaven forbid, some _thing,_ could very well be causing this. Out of all of his children, not that he would want anything like this to happen to Ichigo or Karin, he hadn't expected for any ill will to befall Yuzu.

Yuzu who wouldn't hurt a fly if she could help it. Yuzu who worked diligently every day to make sure they had everything they needed. That still blew him away to this day, the amount of work his middle child had taken upon herself. The cooking, the cleaning, the laundry, and she had begun this all at the age of five!

Out of all of his children she was the least spiritually aware too, well, as far as he knew. She did not exhibit the same sort of pressure as either of her siblings. Granted he wasn't sure that many had the same amount of spiritual pressure his eldest had. Nevertheless, whatever was causing this shouldn't have been drawn to her by the spiritual abilities, and that just didn't add up.

Then there was the other scenario. That this all was _truly_ medical and somehow that was harder to swallow. Since the doctors, including himself, had no idea what was going on with her there was a good chance that by the time they figured out what was wrong, it would be too late…

"Dad!" that shout startled him out of his inner musings like a bucket of ice cold water being dumped on him. His eldest rarely called him dad. "Old goat" and "bastard" were the usual names he got for his over the top antics.

He had never run more quickly in his life.

* * *

All that ran through Ichigo's head was that he needed to get her lying flat on her back before turning her onto her side. Thankfully his training had kicked in rather quickly and as far as he could tell she was having a seizure. Placing her on her side would keep her from choking on vomit should she end up becoming sick.

Ichigo was glad that he had trained in the clinic when he was younger. Though he was not called in to assist that often these days. Usually he was too busy either trying to catch up in school or taking care of hollows.

To be honest he was not as adept with these sorts of things like the rest of his family, but he was at the very least competent and could provide support.

As he placed her on her side he felt…off. An uneasy feeling settled in his gut, and he pulled his hand away from his sister's shoulder only to find the sensation fading away.

' _What on Earth…?'_

Ichigo pushed that aside for the moment and watched as faint tremors ran through her body. He tried to think of all the times that he had felt this helpless in a situation. He was always trying to keep a cool head when things got bad. If he didn't people could die.

Those moments seemed to become more frequent after he had taken up the position of a substitute shinigami.

The feeling curling inside of this stomach was a mixture of frustration and helplessness.

He wanted to ask her how she was, get her to respond, but he knew she wouldn't. Her eyes were half-lidded and glassy, focusing on something just beyond his shoulder but not really seeing.

There was a rapid thumping from the stairs that signaled his father's arrival. The man looked completely disheveled and terrified. Ichigo could only think of one other time where he might have looked like this, but he never got to see that. He had been too distraught over the death of his mother to really take in his father's appearance.

The first time he even _remembered_ seeing his father was when he had been wrapped up in a hug, a large hand pressing his orange covered head into his father's shoulder as he was consoled.

Seeing him like this now sent the teenager on edge.

The dark haired man walked over tentatively and a look of pride washed over his face.

"Good work," he murmured gently, probably unable to get his voice any louder. "We'll have to wait until she quits seizing."

Ichigo clenched his fists but said nothing. There really wasn't much else they could do for her. He hated feeling helpless, but they could work when she stopped seizing.

Minutes ticked by and then her muscles began to relax one by one until she was utterly limp. Her eyes fluttered before closing.

"Yuzu, sweet heart, can you hear me?" Isshin asked gently, leaning down to her level. There was no response from the light haired girl. He continued anyway, just in case she could hear him. "I'm going to pick you up, alright?"

Still no response. That had a heavy feeling settling in Ichigo's stomach, but his father seemed cool and collected as he looked her over.

Gently he lifted her up into his arms and made his way to the clinic side of their home. He was careful not to jostle her around as he laid her on one of the empty clinic beds.

"I'm home!" a voice called from the entrance to their house. Karin had left earlier this morning to go shopping on their sister's behalf.

"In here!" he called, and winced at his shaking tone. What was wrong with him? He shouldn't be acting like this. He was supposed to be strong when things like this came up.

"What are you guys-" Karin stopped talking, and her hands released the grocery bags she had been carrying, spilling the contents all over the floor. She took a step forward, but Ichigo shook his head, stilling her. The raven haired girl gritted her teeth before demanding an explanation. "What happened?!"

"Karin, keep your voice down," Isshin scolded his youngest gently as he pulled the sheets up and around Yuzu to keep her warm. "Yuzu just had a seizure."

That quieted Karin before she asked in a far softer voice. "Seizure…?"

'Yes," he said, gently opening Yuzu's mouth and turning on a pen light to inspect their sister's throat. He was more than likely making sure that nothing was obstructing her breathing. The man made a noise of critique before turning the pen light off and rubbing his hand over his face wearily. "She's alright, for now."

Ichigo swallowed thickly and cursed himself for how weak his voice sounded. "For now?"

"We can't rule out the possibility that this might happen again, Ichigo," Isshin said, appearing to fret slightly over the blankets that currently wrapped up his light haired daughter, before turning to face him fully. "We'll have to keep a close eye on her from now on. Right now, let's let her rest…"

Ichigo felt numb as his father's large hand landed on his shoulder and steered him towards the living room. He glanced over to his father's other side to see Karin being guided in much the same way. Her eyes were slowly filling with unshed tears and she bit her lip violently to keep them at bay.

After they had made it into the living room Karin had broken away to wash her face properly and compose herself. There was an embarrassed blush on her cheeks. If there was one thing his youngest sister hated, it was crying in front of others.

He sat heavily on the couch and listened as it creaked in protest. Anger suddenly swelled up inside of the teenager and he gritted his teeth.

"This isn't medical, is it?" he asked gruffly. The substitute shinigami didn't want this to be medical. He wanted this to be caused by…something. Something he could hack into with Zangetsu. He needed to be able to fix this.

"I'm not sure," his father said honestly, rubbing the stubble on his chin. His old man was starting to look his age, or at the very least haggard. Charcoal eyes swiveled to meet his brown ones. "I don't want you getting in over your head, Ichigo."

He wasn't sure how to respond to that. Ever since he had started his work as a substitute shinigami his father had never said one word against the idea after revealing to Ichigo that he knew. Nor had he ever expressed any real concerns. The man was always pretty cool and collected in these paranormal situations.

"Dad," he began, voice a little less firm than he would have liked. The teenager's pride was a bit bruised too. He had been through Hell and back, quite literally, and now his old man was worried? "I've been doing this stuff for a while now."

"Humor me," his father's voice was gruff, lacking all of his usual wit and over the top cheekiness. "I know you're powerful, Ichigo, but I'm still in the position of a father. One of my children is currently incapacitated, possibly by some outside force, and I don't want something to happen to another."

"Oh," he winced at that lame rejoinder. He knew his father was worried. What parent wouldn't? But it was weird seeing him like this. Being so, protective and all. Usually that was Ichigo's job, but he supposed he had to have gotten that from somewhere.

The raven haired man turned away, and rubbed the back of his neck with his hand before sighing. "Look after your sisters, Ichigo."

He remembered a time not too long ago when his father had asked that of him. Yuzu had been dragged to Hell then…

He swallowed thickly before asking, "Where are you going?"

Isshin seemed to actually take pause then before meeting his son's gaze. "I need to speak with Urahara. I won't be gone long."

Picking up his car keys from the table near the front door he headed outside leaving Ichigo to watch after his siblings.

Heading back towards the clinic side of their house he couldn't help but remember that feeling that he had near the beginning of Yuzu's seizure. He almost felt like someone had been watching.

He filed that information away for later as he went over to sit by Yuzu's bedside.

* * *

 _To be continued..._


	4. Chapter 4

**Author's Note:** There is a bit of overlap between this and the last chapter. I think I'm going to start doing notes at the end. See you down below~

Disclaimer: I don't own Bleach~

* * *

 **Chapter 4**

Karin had been asked by her twin to go and pick up some groceries from the store. Ever since the incident of her getting lost for hours Karin had practically forbid her from leaving the house without at least one of them.

Yuzu had been feeling worse today, Karin could tell in the way she held herself, and so when she realized she'd forgotten an ingredient Karin offered to go in her stead. Their old man was home doing paper work for their clinic and besides that their brother would be home from school soon. Yuzu should be perfectly fine.

Getting the leeks that her light haired twin had needed she made her way back home. An uneasy feeling settled in her gut as she approached their clinic. It was as if there was some sort of pressure bearing down on the building, but she knew what spiritual pressure felt like. This wasn't it.

She licked her lips nervously. No, this felt like the herald of something to come.

The girl about gagged on that thought. She was starting to sound like her older brother when he got into a Shakespeare kick. Which, though she did not hate Shakespeare, she had enough exposure to last a lifetime courtesy of her older brother.

Ichigo could probably be a good stage actor if he put his mind to it.

Opening the door, she called out to her family.

"In here!" came Ichigo's voice, but there was something off about it. The feeling grew tenfold as she slowly walked to the clinic side of their home.

"What are you guys-"she began, only to stop when she saw Yuzu laying in one of the beds used for patients. Her sister was extremely pale, almost as white as the sheets currently draped over her. She heard something hit the floor and cursed mentally to herself when she realized the noise had come from the groceries she had just dropped. That did not matter right now though. Gritting her teeth, she asked, well more demanded, "What happened?!"

"Karin, keep your voice down," their father scolded and she quieted down immediately. Their dad did not use that tone unless things were bad... "Yuzu just had a seizure."

That was like a punch to the gut and she questioned softly, "Seizure…?"

"Yes," their father said as he used a pen light to inspect Yuzu's throat. From the look on his face and his lack of action it seemed like there wasn't anything obstructing Yuzu's breathing. That was good. Clicking the penlight off he put the item back in his pocket before saying. "She's alright for now."

"For now?" Ichigo had voiced her own worries so she remained quiet.

"We can't rule out the possibility that this might happen again, Ichigo," their dad addressed Ichigo as he fretted over the blankets for a few seconds before deciding that they were fine where they were. Yuzu looked so pale…It wasn't right. She was so caught up in her sister's appearance that she barely heard her father's last sentence. "We'll have to keep a close eye on her from now on. Right now, let's let her rest…"

Their dad's large hand fell on her shoulder and gently lead her out of the room. She felt numb and she was at a loss for what to do. That same feeling of uselessness washed over her as it had so many other times since Yuzu's diagnosis.

Tears pricked her eyes. It wasn't fair.

She swallowed thickly before excusing herself to tend to the tears clinging to her lashes. The preteen refused to cry. She couldn't, not if she was going to help Yuzu.

Crying wouldn't solve anything and her crying would take needed attention away from her ailing sister. She'd be damned if she let that happen.

As she was walking to the bathroom she felt…off. There was a sudden feeling of nausea that wracked through her abdomen, sending her stomach into perpetual summersaults. Her hand reached out to grip a nearby door frame in attempts to keep her balance.

' _What the hell…?'_

Sweat beaded on her forehead and she swallowed several times, trying to dispel the feeling. Unfortunately, the nausea persisted.

The preteen's breathing became labored, she felt the beginnings of what she thought might be a panic attack coming on, before all at once it was gone. A sensation like the rushing of cool air passed over her, causing her to shiver, and her shoulders slumped in relief.

The raven haired girl stood there for a moment, catching her breath, before she continued to make her way to the bathroom. Once there she splashed cold water on her face before drying off with a hand towel.

When she walked back into the living room Ichigo and their father were gone. That could not be right, they would not just leave with Yuzu in the condition she was in.

Walking into the clinic side of their house confirmed her suspicions. Her older brother was sitting in one of the clinic chairs watching over the prone form of Yuzu.

Pulling up a nearby chair she joined him in his vigil.

"Ichi-nii," she started, unsure of what to say. That feeling she had was not normal, and though she was still upset with Ichigo and their father for keeping their secrets she would not put Yuzu in danger just because she was upset with them. "When I was walking to the bathroom…I got this really weird feeling."

He turned to her so quickly that she thought he might fall out of his chair.

"What feeling?" he asked, as if he knew exactly what she was talking about. Karin was quick to put two and two together.

"You felt it too?" she said softly. "When?!"

Her tone hadn't been angry, but it was still loud. Both jerked as the quietness of the clinic being disturbed by that outburst.

"Sorry," she mumbled.

"It's alright, but I felt off right after she collapsed," he informed quietly.

"I felt off when I was walking in the hallway, but it felt like I couldn't breathe after that…" she said softly, a frown on her face and her brow furrowed. That settled it. This had to be some sort of outside force messing with Yuzu, but they still had nothing else to go on.

Still, there seemed to be no other explanation. Karin had never really felt that way earlier and it was just a bit too convenient that her brother had felt something at the very least similar.

"What should we do?"

"I'll take care of it."

Anger flooded her senses and she immediately abandoned her chair to grab her brother's shirt. His brown eyes were wide as he regarded his youngest sibling. She never really got in his face like this before. He was her older brother and since they had very similar personalities they got along quite well despite most people figuring the opposite would be true.

"No!" she all but growled at him. "No, you won't shut me out. Not with this…Not when Yuzu is in trouble."

She knew why he was trying to push her away. He did not want her getting hurt too, but it was too late for that. Whatever was happening, whatever was doing this to Yuzu felt the need to make itself known to both herself and Ichigo. Whether that was intentional or not she was not sure, but it felt that way.

The raven haired girl was a part of this whether she wanted to be or not. Surely he could see that pushing her away would only endanger her more.

He gently reached up and dislodged her now trembling hands from the collar of his shirt.

"Alright," he finally said, defeated. "But you'll need to be careful. I don't want to los-I don't want you to get hurt too."

"Don't worry about me, if this really is caused by something I'll kick its ass!" she said, putting up a tough front, but if this was enough to freak out her older brother and father then she needed to be careful. She had no effective weapons, save for her soccer ball, and since the entity was still a mystery there was a good chance that a soccer ball to the face would do absolutely nothing.

The two fell into a tense silence for some time as they just watched the gentle rise and fall of Yuzu's chest beneath the sheets. That was a comfort, but at the same time Karin felt dread.

Her physical appearance looked alright, but what about her mental state? The girl worried her bottom lip between her teeth. Honestly she was kind of afraid of the Yuzu that would greet them when she woke up.

She needed to be strong. That was all there was to it. Yuzu needed her to be strong.

There was a rustling noise from the clinic bed that had both of their heads snapping to attention.

What they saw was the terrified face of Yuzu as she sat up quickly, clutching the sheets firmly to her as if attempting to create a barrier between herself and them. That had Karin's heart sinking. A side glance at Ichigo confirmed that he felt the same.

Chocolate eyes blinked a few times and her lower lip trembled slightly as she stared at them. That was enough to break Karin's heart. Her sister looked so _lost_.

A brittle and terror filled voice cut through the silence feebly.

"W…Where am I?"

* * *

 **End Note:** Well, there you have it. Another chapter up and we have yet to get into the meat of what is going on. I don't want to rush things, but at the same time I don't want to go unbearably slow. However, I feel like the plot has moved at least minutely to where I want it. Hey, at least we have something to tackle in the next chapter, what with them dealing with a now conscious Yuzu. Read and review if you wish~

 _To be continued..._


	5. Chapter 5

Disclaimer: I don't own Bleach~

* * *

 **Chapter 5**

Her eyes opened slowly and the girl found herself in a very cozy place. Sure, what she was laying on could have been softer, but she was not going to complain about it right now. She felt like she had just ran a marathon and did not pace herself properly.

There was a bright light above her and as she turned her head, she took in her surroundings. For the most part it was a basic room with white walls and sparse furnishing. The majority of what was in this room were chairs, another bed, and curtains used to divide up the room for privacy.

Turning her head in the other direction she was greeted by two people she was sure she had never met before. Her heart leapt into her throat.

She sat up and used the blanket as a type of barrier. Granted it wasn't a very good one, but it made her feel marginally safe.

"W…Where am I?"

Waking up to the faces of two strangers in what appeared to be a clinic, now that she thought about it, was not how she expected to wake up. Actually she wasn't sure how she expected to wake up.

The girl found that she could not remember even going to sleep. Or anything before that either…

Oh dear, did she have amnesia? How had that happened?

She looked around herself, checking for any signs of head trauma or any other injuries, but found herself to be quite alright. How odd!

She had been a little freaked out to see two people that close to her bedside, but they at the very least did not seem hostile. Ah, they must have been the people who found her! How nice of them!

"Um…" she started but closed her mouth a few seconds later. Honestly she was not sure what to say to them other than the obvious. She inclined her head in a half bow. "Uh, thank you."

The looks she received caused her heart to constrict painfully in her chest for some strange reason. The two of them looked heartbroken.

"Do you," the girl with dark hair began, but clamped her mouth shut seconds later. So many different emotions ran through her obsidian orbs. "Do you know who w-we are? Who…who you are?"

She worried her bottom lip between her teeth before shaking her head in the negative. It was so strange, she hadn't wanted to answer the girl for fear of making her upset, and by the look on the raven haired girl's face she had done just that.

"Oh, I'm sorry, please don't cry!" she said, her hands flying up and attempting to make placating gestures. That seemed to only make the girl worse! What could she do, what could she possibly-oh! "Come here."

Without even thinking she hugged the girl to her and the response was immediate. Two arms wrapped around her like a vice and though it was uncomfortable, honestly she didn't know this girl, she bared it. This girl seemed like she could really use a hug…

There was a sniffling noise and she thought she felt moister on her shoulder. That was okay. Crying was a completely healthy response when one was under distress.

Even if she was hugging a complete stranger.

Something in the back of her mind tried to tell her that it wasn't so, and that she knew this person, but she had no recollection what so ever. She was on the fence on whether or not to believe this new found feeling or just chalk it up to a psychotic spell.

Granted she never remembered having such a spell before. However, if she is in a clinic, and a once over confirms that as fact, then there is probably a very good reason for her being here.

With no physical ailments that only made her "I'm probably secretly a nut" theory hold more water.

Ah, but she was getting ahead of herself and probably not giving herself enough credit. She should just ask these seemingly nice people what is going on. Clear the air so to speak.

Yes, she would do just that.

"I…I'm sorry, but what is going on here?" she asked, being as polite as possible. Someone had taught her that before, she was sure, but she for the life of her wasn't sure who that someone was. That was okay though. Baby steps. "Was I in an accident or-"

Tears fell from the dark haired girl's eyes and once more she felt her heart clench at the sight. She wanted to offer another hug, but she needed answers.

"Please," she said, clutching the sheets that where on her lap tightly. "I need to know…Don't leave me in the dark."

The two seemed surprised by this statement as their eyes widened. Seemed like she had struck a chord.

"Your name is Kurosaki Yuzu," the older boy began, and she nodded her head. The name was not familiar in the slightest, but this was more information than what she woke up with so she was taking it. "You live here, with us, we're your family."

"Does that…ring any bells?" the dark haired girl asked, and her voice warbled. She really seemed like she was trying to hide that fact, but she was failing miserably.

She knew this would probably only cause more tears, but lying would help no one in this situation. The light haired girl closed her eyes and took in a calming breath before opening them to see the anxious faces of her "family."

"I'm sorry," she said, once she had built her courage. "I…I don't remember either of you."

It was like glass had shattered and before she could say another word the dark haired girl bolted from the room. The older boy called after, but it was no use.

She apologized quietly, but the older boy looked at her like she had punched him in the stomach.

"You have no reason to be sorry," he said, voice thick. Even though he told her that she still felt guilt rising from her gut. He rose to go, probably to check on the dark haired girl, he really should, but a sudden panic washed over her. The thought of being alone terrified her for some strange reason…

"Wait!" she winced at how loud that was in the stillness of the clinic. He looked down at her and she suddenly felt foolish. "Ah…"

His large hand enveloped hers and she looked up at his face.

"I'll be right back," he vowed, and her hammering heart seemed to settle. With a quiet 'ok' from her, he released her hand and went out of the room to find the dark haired girl.

Minutes ticked by and she had begun to seriously consider searching them out when the two returned. The dark haired girl looked worse for wear, her eyes red and puffy, but there were no tears.

Surely that was a good sign?

The two took seats at her bedside and they lapsed into a somewhat tense silence.

She should probably break the ice…

"So...I live here?" she began, trying to strike up a conversation. Maybe if they talked enough then something said would trigger a memory.

"Yeah," the dark haired girl said. "This is the Kurosaki Clinic and this place is also our home."

"I'm Kurosaki Ichigo, your older brother," the orange teen said. Oh, so he was her older brother? That…that made sense, so did that mean…She looked over at the dark haired girl which seemed to prompt her to answer.

"Karin…Kurosaki Karin, your…your twin," she said, and the light haired girl couldn't help but blink rapidly. Twin? But they looked nothing a like! Hm, but she knew that not all twins were identical. What was the name for that again? F…fraternal? Yes, that sounded right.

There was a sudden jingling noise from the front of the clinic and all three of them turned to look. Two men were walking through the front door. The first had black, spiky hair and a scruffy beard. He was wearing a button up shirt and slakes while also sporting what appeared to be a doctor's coat too.

The second man looked far more strange when standing next to the first man. He wore more traditional clothing in comparison which was all green with bits of white. He also sported a white and green bucket hat while he had a pair of _geta_ on his feet.

Upon seeing her the dark haired man's face lit up.

"Ah, Yuzu, my darling daughter, you are awake!" he crowed happily, and before she even realized what she was doing she had ducked down, avoiding the man entirely. The resounded thud told her that he had made contact with the wall behind her, and she winced. That had probably hurt…

"You stupid old goat!" Ichigo groused adding literal insult to injury. The dark haired man poked up his head guiltily and realization came quick seconds later.

No more was the goofy grin on his face. Instead it was replaced by a stony visage that she was sure did not belong there at all.

"Ah, I'm sorry," she said, tilting her head apologetically. "I probably got your hopes up…"

He stood, dusting himself off before placing a hand on her shoulder, the gesture fatherly. "No, don't apologize."

That look reminded her a lot of the look Ichigo had given her. Well, if these two were her siblings, and the dark haired man was their father then it only made sense that some expressions would be inherit.

The man with the bucket hat who had remained quiet during the exchanged, walked up to her bedside.

"Ah, Yuzu-chan! Good to see you up and about!" she smiled weakly at him. Nope. No memories of this guy either. "As for why I am here, I have something I want to give you!"

Both Ichigo and Karin looked suspicious, and she wondered why, but she took the offered object. It was an embellished container that had intricate floral designs all around and the object sparkled a gentle silver in the light. Inside the container was what appeared to be a blue liquid which was quite beautiful.

She immediately recoiled as a burning sensation spread across her fingers. The little container landed on the blankets and she inspected her fingers, but found no damage to them.

"The hell was that, Urahara?!" Ichigo groused, and looked like he was about to lunge at the blond haired man. Their father got between the two, holding up his hands in attempts to make peace with the riled up teen. Karin also looked like she was going to wring someone's neck.

"Easy," he said, same serious look on his face. Charcoal eyes shifted to look at the disgruntled pair. "There is a reason that needed to be done. Don't worry."

"How can we not?" Karin interjected, arms crossed.

Karin was effectively ignored, to which she huffed, but said no more as their father turned to address her. "Yuzu, I need to talk to your brother and sister in private with Urahara-san, we'll be right back, I promise."

The preteen swallowed thickly, but nodded her head. It would only be for a little bit; she could handle being alone for that time.

* * *

Ichigo was displeased with both his father and Urahara. Karin, from the looks of it, was feeling the same.

"Mind explaining?" he groused, but his anger slowly started to fade as he saw the serious expressions on both older men's faces. This wasn't a joke. All joviality from both men was gone and that had Ichigo's heart hammering hard.

"I'm afraid to inform you that I know what is causing Yuzu-chan's ailment," Urahara said, retrieving the vial he had given to Yuzu from his sleeve. The color had changed from a brilliant blue to a garish red. It glowed softly, giving it an other worldly feel, and Ichigo cursed softly under his breath.

"Huh? You do? Then quit beating around the bush!" Karin grumbled.

"It appears that Yuzu-chan has contracted a demon."

"A…" Ichigo began, eyes wide.

"…demon?" Karin finished, voice shaking.

* * *

 **Author's Note:** Ah geez, I rewrote this chapter so many times, but here we are. Of course, there will be more explanations later on how she got into this situation, but that is for a later chapter. Read and review if you wish~

 _To be continued..._


	6. Chapter 6

Disclaimer: I don't own Bleach~

* * *

 **Chapter 6**

Isshin watched as his youngest and oldest processed what they had just learned about their sister's condition. In truth he was having a hard time processing this whole situation himself.

Urahara had done what he requested and looked into the matter. The former shinigami was glad that they now had an answer, but even though they now knew the situation they were in, there was still a challenge ahead.

Isshin wasn't going to lie and say he knew everything about demons. Demons where Hell's problem, and as such Soul Society did not meddle, just…observed. There were rumors, that though demons where in Hell they could leave, torment the living, torment them without Soul Society even _knowing,_ and return back to their dwelling place.

Demons were a tricky sort too. They were not in the cycle of shinigami, humans, and hollows. Hollows had once been human, even if this was distantly, demons…Demons lacked _both_ a soul and a heart, but that was as much as he knew about them.

How Urahara had found a way to detect them he could only guess, but he knew of humans who had fought against demons in the past.

He felt kind of sick at his stomach at the thought. Soul Society prided itself on protecting the living from the threat of Hollows, but they didn't even bother to investigate the effect of demons…

"How do we take it down?" Ichigo was the first to speak, and Karin nodded her head, wanting an answer as well.

For this he turned to Urahara, but the shopkeeper's face did not kindle any hope.

"At the moment there isn't much we can do," Urahara said. "In normal cases a demon attaches itself to a human and possesses them, there are methods to treat that, but from what I can tell Yuzu isn't being possessed, but simply fed on."

He felt a spike in spiritual pressure from his eldest, and from the look on his youngest's face she had felt the spike too. The preteen glanced warily at her older brother, but she felt the same as he did if the frown and narrowing of her eyes was any indication.

"So now what?" Ichigo growled, temper flaring. "We just wait until this _thing_ finishes _feeding off_ _of her?!"_

"Ichigo," Isshin began, but closed his mouth. The former shinigami captain refrained from scolding his son, for he felt the exact same way. Anger and frustration were swelling deep within. Anger at this creature for attacking one of his children, and frustration at himself for being unable to prevent it.

"I'll keep searching for a way to flush it out into the open," Urahara said, looking between all three members of the Kurosaki family currently in front of him, eyes hooded by his hat and the usual glint of curiosity in his eyes. Isshin was a little worried that this whole ordeal had peaked the scientist in Kisuke just a little too much, but the blond was their best shot. The shopkeeper turned and made his way toward the front of the clinic, the vial of red liquid in his hand. "Let me know if anything changes with Yuzu-chan's condition!"

"We will," Isshin said, and just as the door closed he heard a cracking noise.

"Ichi-nii!" the man turned to find that his hot headed son had punched a hole into the wall. Isshin couldn't blame him entirely, this news wasn't exactly the best. Ichigo was going to have to fix that when all of this was said and done…but for now there were more important matters to attend to.

"Let's just see how your sister is doing," Isshin whispered gently.

The trio made their way back into the room Yuzu was in, only for his soft spoken daughter to plow right into him, her arms wrapped around his middle and her face buried into his stomach. He blinked, surprised that she was up and about, but worried at what would cause her to rush out of the room.

"Yuzu?" he questioned, and felt her shaking.

"I'm sorry," she mumbled, before looking up at him with the most heart breaking expression he had ever seen on her face. "I…I uh, I don't want to be left alone…"

He smoothed her auburn hair down, hair that was so much like Masaki's, he swallowed the grief, and did his best to comfort his distressed child. Damn, it was at times like this that he desperately missed his wife. His wife who could chase away all of their children's fears, and loved them so fully.

Isshin loved his children, so very much, but Masaki had loved as if it were as natural as breathing.

The man sucked in a breath, before putting on a smile that he knew wasn't going to quite reach his eyes. He would be able to smile truly once this whole ordeal was over.

"Hey now," he said, looking down at those tear filled eyes. "No need to be afraid! Papa is here!"

There was a teary half smile, but a smile none the less.

"Let's get you back to bed," he said, and the girl nodded. Her legs were already starting to go out on her, and so he had to help her back to the bed.

Once she was settled on the clinic bed he turned to Ichigo and Karin.

"I'm going to order something for us to eat," he said, looking between the two. "Unless you'd prefer I cook-"

"No!" they shouted in unison as they took up their seats at Yuzu's bedside. Yuzu herself looked rather confused as she wiped away the tears clinging to her lashes.

"I thought so," he said, flashing a halfhearted smile before making his way to the phone.

* * *

Karin watched as her sister settled back down into the clinic bed. Her head pressed back against the pillow, auburn hair framing her face delicately, and pure and utter exhaustion was plain as day on her face.

Yuzu opened her eyes to look at both Karin and Ichigo, a sheepish look crossing her face and a dusting of color on her cheeks that made her paleness stand out even more.

"Um…" she started and promptly closed her mouth to rethink what she was going to say. "That was…pretty silly of me, huh?"

"No," Karin scoffed. Her face softened as she clasped her sister's fragile hand in hers.

"If there is anything you want to talk about you can tell us, you know," Ichigo added. It was obvious to the dark haired girl that he too was bugged by the fact that Yuzu was afraid to be left alone.

Yuzu seemed to honestly mull things over and looked towards them moments later.

"Well…" she started, worrying her bottom lip between her teeth. "I don't know why, but the thought of being alone terrifies me."

"Then we'll stay with you," Karin said matter-o-factly.

"Why would you do that?" Yuzu asked, and that stung, because her twin never had to ask before.

"'Cause we lo-" oh crap, that was hard to say. None of her family was really into saying the whole "I love you" thing…Okay, Yuzu was, and so was their old man, but it felt like he did it to be annoying more than anything. Usually when he said those words he was trying to strangle the life out of one of them with one of his poor excuses for a hug.

Karin herself usually mumbled it, if even that, but she never had to say it out loud too often because her family already _knew_ that she did. Still this was important and yet she still stumbled. "…W…We love you."

She felt Yuzu squeeze her hand and looked up.

The look said that she still didn't understand, that she still didn't remember, but that what was said was appreciated.

That was a start.

* * *

 **Author's Note:** Wow, this happened a lot more quickly than I thought it would! Started writing and them, boom, here we are. Tried to get some explanations down this chapter. Read and review if you wish~

Ah, I just wanted to take this time to thank everyone who has read, reviewed, faved, and followed so far, I really appreciate it!

 _To be continued..._


	7. Chapter 7

Disclaimer: I don't own Bleach~

* * *

 **Chapter 7**

Ichigo had a lot to think about as he stood there doing the dishes after they had finished the take out their dad had ordered. Granted, everyone at the table more or less picked at the food. More than half was now in the fridge for later.

Karin was currently sitting vigil with a mentally and physically exhausted Yuzu. If anything his light haired sister's condition had worsened after she had woken up.

Yuzu had eaten well however, and that was a monumental relief. His father had told them, warned them, as he held the sacks of food in his hands that there might be a chance that Yuzu would forget how to eat.

Forget how to use utensils as if she had never learned in the first place.

Forget how to chew and swallow…

Ichigo had no idea that these sorts of symptoms could occur, they were a small clinic, severe cases were a rarity if they could help it, but their father educated them briefly then and there. The brain is a complicated organ. Damage could cause a multitude of symptoms and it was obvious that though this thing was not physical it was attacking a very physical part of Yuzu, her brain...

Memory loss might just the beginning. Motor functions, the ability to distinguish left from right, the ability to speak, count, read, sort items, take care of one's self and much more could all be taken away in an instant.

Just because this _thing_ had only eaten through her memories didn't mean that it would stop there…

The plates clinked just a little too hard and he winced. He better not ruins any of these plates, Yuzu would kill him when she remembered.

He paused for a moment as another disturbing thought surfaced.

 _If she remembered…_

Maybe he shouldn't be the one doing the dishes…He was two seconds away from throwing a plate at a nearby wall in pure frustration.

He was the oldest _dammit!_ He was supposed to look out for his little sisters.

Another thing that was sending him off the deep end was the explanation they got for Yuzu's condition. _Demon, of all things it had to be a demon!_

He had no experience with demons, up until now he had always thought they were just myths, but hearing that they were in fact real disturbed him.

 _Where the hell has the Soul Society been?_

The teen couldn't wrap his mind around why they weren't handling this threat. These things were encroaching on the living, because he was sure Yuzu _wasn't_ _the_ _only_ case like this.

The biggest question he had was, why Yuzu? What was it about her in particular that drew the demon towards her? She had done _nothing_ wrong.

Maybe that's what they preferred…

He sat the last plate on top of the stack and put them up in the cabinet. At least there was no risk of him breaking them now.

Drying off his hands he made his way back to Yuzu's clinic room. They should really move her back into her room, make her comfortable, and maybe being in a familiar room would jog something in her head. That would at least help Karin, his dark haired sister had refused to leave Yuzu's bedside unless another was present, and these clinic chairs weren't exactly the comfiest.

Karin had tucked her in when he drew back the curtains, but his light haired sister had yet to fall asleep. She looked absolutely exhausted, but she was fighting sleep vehemently from the looks of it. Every time her eye lids began to sink she would flutter them rapidly in attempt to stay awake.

The look on Karin's face was gentle but grim.

"It's okay to go to sleep, Yuzu," she said, placing a placating hand on her sister's shoulder. Karin chewed her bottom lip as her efforts to ease their sister's worries were met with a tear slipping down her pale cheek.

'I'm sorry,' she mouthed, her voice would not work. She was probably working herself up and her throat closed up on its own. Sometimes that happened when the body was under a great deal of stress.

"Don't worry about it," Karin said, half shrugging. "Nothing is gonna hurt you on our watch."

But just how true was that statement? They said that, but when push came to shove could they honestly protect their gentle sister from this threat? Could _he_?

His stomach curdled at the idea that there was nothing he could do. That never set right with Ichigo though. He was a man of action and the fact that he could do nothing at the moment was honestly getting to him.

Of course, when he got the go ahead. When they found this thing. Well, he was going to have a great time introducing it to the blade edge of Zangetsu.

He sighed roughly before taking a heavy seat next to Karin. Weariness clung to him, but as he looked up at Yuzu's trembling form he offered one of his rare smiles.

"She's right, we'll keep an eye out," Ichigo said, taking Yuzu's so very pale hand. It was almost the color of paper, her little veins were so easy to see, and she looked like a corpse. The teen sucked in a steadying breath at the thought. He honestly wasn't sure that if…if worse came to worse that he would be able to even think about cutting her chain. To send her to the Soul Society, the fact that she would have lost her memories meant nothing now, because how could you lose something that was already lost?

He squeezed her hand and she returned the pressure as best as she could in her weakened state.

Eventually she found her voice, and it was a relief to hear her next words.

"Good night…"

She was asleep almost instantly, and so as to not wake her from her hard earned sleep he gently released her hand before setting it on top of the covers.

"I'm going to go upstairs and get some blankets…" Karin said softly. Standing up she made her way upstairs briskly, fully intent on leaving Yuzu for as little time as possible.

Once the two had made their own pallets, Karin turning of the light seconds later, they both sat down on them.

"I'll take the first watch," he offered, and Karin looked at her twin worriedly. Eventually she nodded, though the action was hesitant, and laid down on her pallet.

Her charcoal eyes narrowed at him.

"If anything changes, you wake me up," she insisted darkly. Despite the fact that Karin was now sporting dark circles under her eyes from the accumulation of worry and lack of sleep, he knew that not waking her up should something happen to Yuzu would be a big mistake.

"I will," he said, and soon both of his little sisters were fast asleep.

As he sat there he began to realize that he probably should have brought himself something to read. He had been reading through Hamlet again, but the book that had many of Shakespeare's plays was upstairs and he wasn't about to leave his post for that.

The teen attempted to count the ceiling tiles, anything to keep his mind preoccupied so that he would not fall asleep. Seconds later he felt the familiar pressure of a hollow entering the world of the living.

' _You can't be serious…'_ he growled to himself internally.

"You can go," his father's voice startled him, and his head snapped to the familiar form at the doorway, he hadn't even felt his old man's arrival.

He stood up, looking at both Karin and Yuzu regrettably then nodded his head. The teen did have a job to do, and if he could get it done quickly then he could get back in no time at all.

"Be sure to wake Karin if anything changes."

Not giving his father a chance to respond, because the answer should obviously be yes, the teen dashed upstairs where his badge was. The substitute pressed the object to his chest and was out of his window in no time flat, Zangetsu already drawn.

At least he would be able to work out his aggression on something tonight.

* * *

 **Author's Note:** Ah, well, here it is. The plot is slowly chugging along, sorry if it doesn't feel like anything riveting is happening, but soon my lovely readers! Hm, I always find it interesting that when people have characters that have something traumatic happen to their brain they generally only talk about them forgetting people or places, despite the fact that it can go much deeper than that. Yuzu hasn't had any other symptoms yet, but there is always that possibility should her memories get anymore damaged. Most of those symptoms where actually told to me before I went in for surgery myself. If anything looks wonky or misspelled please let me know, it's pretty late as I post this.

Anyway, read and review if you wish~

 _To be continued..._


	8. Chapter 8

**Author's Note:** Well, it certainly has been a while! Sorry for the wait! University and all that has been rather rough these past couple of semesters. Anyway, here is a bit of an interlude that features Urahara! Fret not, we'll be getting back to the Kurosaki family next chapter, and hopefully it won't take me too long to get that one out. Hope you dig it, and Merry Christmas.

Disclaimer: I don't own Bleach~

* * *

 **Chapter 8**

Urahara stepped inside his shop with a heavy sigh as he retrieved the vial that Yuzu Kurosaki had held for him a short while earlier. The shop was eerily quiet. Tessai and the children must have stepped out. That was probably for the best if the shopkeeper was being honest with himself.

He needed to make a call.

A call that he hadn't been prepared to make.

He could already feel a headache beginning to blossom.

When the notion that Yuzu's condition was actually the work of a demon had been suggested it had baffled him. Demons where beings that pretended to be souls to get close to the living. Close to feed or close to possess. They did not feed in the same way as Hollows did, but there was no denying that souls were lost to the denizens of Hell, and Soul Society did nothing to prevent it.

He sat heavily in his chair and glanced at the phone.

It was best to get this over with.

He dialed the number easy enough. He hoped she was still there, and that the number still worked. Though Urahara never imagined she would leave that place even after all this time.

A young man picked up.

" _Hello_?" he asked in English.

"Is this Florence's Flowers?" If she was there then her workers where probably informed. He hoped.

"O-Oh, I'm sorry, I-uh, I don't speak much Japanese," he stuttered in choppy Japanese. "I-I'll get Mrs. Florence for you. H-hold on."

Good. Florence was still alive then.

He heard faintly in the background the voice of an older woman.

" _What is it Cole dear_?"

" _Oh, um, a customer, they were speaking Japanese, and well, you know I can't speak well enough_."

The sound of the phone being passed was heard as a faint crackling emitted over the line.

"Urahara Kisuke is that you?" she asked tersely, and Urahara had pulled the phone back in just enough time. He had expected this, but he hoped he could keep her on the line long enough to make a request. "It's been thirty-seven years, what do you want?"

"Ah, and don't you sound lovely as always Florence," he said, and frowned. _Don't hang up Florence. We don't have much time._

"Don't screw with me, I've got a business to run and so do you," she grumbled back. There was a shifting noise and the closing of a door. "So, why are you calling me out of the blue? Like I said, it's been thirty-seven years."

"I need a favor," he said, and the old woman barked a laugh.

"A _favor_? What had earned you the right to ask that of me? Don't think I've forgotten what ha-"He cut her off. It was risky, but there was no time to dwell on the past.

"This is serious Florence, and it involves a child," he remarked, and she stilled at that.

"You certainly know how to twist an old woman's arm Urahara," Florence grumbled. She seemed to be shuffling something that sounded distinctly like paper. There was a heavy sigh from her before she said a little more calmly, wearily. "What do you need?"

"I need you here in Karakura Town, and I would like you to bring Timothy with you," he said, and the woman let out a rough exhale.

"I'm retired now. I thought this would just be a call for advice, I'm not as young as I used to be," she said, and he could almost see her frown. Though he figured she had many more wrinkles. Humans aged so quickly. "And Timothy, really? Do you know how hard it will be to get him through customs without looking like a crazy old hag?"

"Don't worry about a plane ticket I'll-" a new voice cut the shopkeep off.

"But you are a crazy old hag," a snide voice remarked, and there was the distinct sound of wood smacking against wood. The voice sounded pained as it uttered, "Bitch…"

"Get back into your crate before someone sees you!" she barked away from the receiver before turning her attention back to Urahara. "Why do you want Timothy there?"

"The vial turned red," there was a soft curse from Florence followed by a whistle from Timothy.

"Oh boy, you got a nasty one don'tcha?"

When the vial had turned red after Yuzu had touched it Urahara had done his best to appear nonchalant. What he had not told Isshin or the rest of the Kurosakis was that red wasn't the only color the vial could have turned. In fact, red had been the last color Urahara had been hoping for. It meant more trouble.

"So, it's attached to a little girl?" Florence asked, and Urahara confirmed as much. "How long?"

"Several months," the next curse was louder.

"And she's still alive?"

"It appears to be feeding off her memories," he informed. "It's been a slow process, but according to her father it worsened today."

"Huh, must be playing with its food," Timothy quipped in the background, and earned another thwack from Florence if the shout of pain and the same noise from earlier was any indication. "Again, bitch…you chipped my paint."

"Get back into your crate before I throw you into the fireplace," Florence warned. There was grumbling from Timothy before the sound of a crate being opened and closed was heard. There was a huff from Florence. "You sure you want that pile of firewood to come?"

"I know he can be a bit _much_ , but I think his perspective would be good to have, just in case," Urahara said, and the old women seemed to relent. "I'll take care of your travel. Just collect everything you need and contact me. I'll handle the rest."

"All right, all right, I'll get everything ready as soon as I can."

"Thank you," he said, and the old woman snorted from the other end of the line.

"Don't thank me yet."

And with that she hung up. Urahara sighed as he hung the phone back onto the receiver. He leaned back in his chair. Well, that had gone better than he had expected. After all these years... He hadn't been sure she would even hear him out, but it appeared that her soft spot for the welfare of children still held true.

He just hoped Florence would be able to do something.

She was the best shot they had now.

* * *

 _To be continued..._


	9. Chapter 9

_Disclaimer: I don't own Bleach._

* * *

 **Chapter 9**

As she fell asleep her mind drifted off to a dark place somewhere buried inside her mind.

Though Yuzu did not remember much of anything, she still felt like she had never dreamt this lucidly before.

Yes, as she stood there she could feel the cold seeping into the souls of her feet from the damp rocks beneath them. A shiver ran through her, and without thought she wrapped her arms around herself in a feeble attempt to warm up.

Her attire wasn't really made for her environment. It was a thin slip of a dress which was white in color and stopped just above her knees. The material reminded her of cheap bedsheets, but at least the material wasn't itchy or uncomfortable. She supposed she could chalk that up to a bit of good fortune in her otherwise unlucky day thus far.

The caramel haired girl decided to start moving. It very well could warm her up, and she might find something of value here. Even if it was just a dream.

The sound of her footsteps echoing off the damp cavernous tunnel sent shocks of nervous energy up and down her spine. Would she be able to hear another person's footsteps in time?

The logical part of the brain wondered why that even mattered if this was all just a dream.

The not so logical part of her mind was the part that made her think "if" this was a dream.

The preteen shook her head and continued. Her gait quickening slightly when a gentle light appeared in the distance.

A cold gust nearly stole her breath away and she stopped for a moment to wrap her arms tighter around herself. She chewed on her lip and glanced up.

The light had not moved. It glowed faintly at her almost as if it where beckoning her.

She bet it was warm next to the light.

A second cold gust had her jogging forward her eyes trained on the rocky surface beneath her feet. The rocks stung the bottom of her feet, and no doubt she would have some wounds to tend to. Nevertheless, she continued. The quicker she got to the light the quicker…well, she wasn't sure what would happen when she got to the light.

Perhaps nothing at all.

Perhaps something terrible…

That thought halted her progress.

 _I have no idea what that light is…_

Her heart thundered in her chest. The preteen worked up the nerve as another sharp gust of wind caused her to shiver and made her way toward the light. Good or bad she was not going to find out by just standing around.

* * *

The Hollow fizzled into nothing. The pure soul beneath being revealed, that of a middle-aged man with slicked back hair and glasses. He smiled weakly at Ichigo.

" _Thank you…"_

Then, just like that, the soul disappeared, on his way to soul society.

Not exactly the fight he had been hoping for as he slung Zangetsu over his shoulder with a huff. Though the hollow had attempted to devour an unsuspecting couple who were out on a date the soul beneath was that of your average family man. Hadn't done a terrible thing in his life.

The one time he wanted a serial killer or some other terrible soul to take his frustration out on and of course his wish won't be granted. Typical.

Oh well, he should just be glad that it was an easy fight and that nobody had been seriously injured. The man hadn't been a hollow for long. Hadn't even devoured one soul yet, and at least Ichigo wouldn't have that on his conscience.

Now it was time to head back home and make sure that everything was still running smoothly. Well, about as smoothly as things could go right now. A nagging worry settled in his gut as he put Zangetsu back on his back and took off running back to his family's clinic.

A familiar spiritual pressure had Ichigo slow down, but not stop.

"You're a little late, Ishida," he said, glancing down at the Quincy from the roof top he was currently crossing. The dark-haired teen followed the light-haired teen's pace easily from the street.

"Really?" that almost smug look on his face pissing Ichigo off instantly. "You can't sense that?"

"Sense wha- _Shit!_ " he whipped his head to the northern section of Karakura with an angry grimace. One…no _two_ hollows had just appeared. One pressure was faint, negligible, _weak_ , but the other was a little more problematic. Nothing Ichigo couldn't handle, especially with Ishida tagging along, but-

"Oh, Ishida-kun, Kurosaki-kun," the familiar bubbly voice of Inoue had his attention snapping toward the other side of the street. Inoue was waving before looking left and right as she crossed the street to join Ishida. "Did you guys sense that too?"

"Naturally, unlike some," Ishida goaded. Ichigo gave the Quincy an annoyed look, but did not retort.

In normal circumstances, he would have risen to the prodding, but he just wasn't in the mood. He needed to kill the two hollows and get back home. He had told Karin he would take the first watch, if she woke up and he wasn't there…

It had not been lost on him that his youngest sister was upset with him. She was worried sick, hell they all were about Yuzu's declining condition, but somehow along the way Ichigo had begun to lose her trust. The teen almost winced at the thought. How long had he been _lying_ to them now? Why was he still trying to lie?

Karin knew what he did. It was obvious, but some stubborn part of him still thought that hiding the truth was the best way to protect his siblings.

 _Yuzu's mind is gone, and Karin probably won't believe a word I say anymore._

He had tried to push them away, to keep them safe, and now…

"Kurosaki-kun?" that snapped him out of his self-destructive thoughts. Inoue's face was nothing but worried as their eyes met.

He turned, no longer able to keep eye contact, but tried to play it off.

"Let's go take care of those hollows," he said, taking off toward the hollows location. Both Inoue and Ishida exchanged a look, but followed their friend nonetheless.

* * *

"This was a bad idea," Yuzu murmured to herself, as she stood in darkness, the light now gone. She had been just steps from the gentle glow when the light fizzled out.

The light was her only way to see in this place, and now that it was gone she wasn't sure where to head next.

A cold chill ran up her spine from the soles of her feet as a hot breeze wafted across her neck. The barely audible sound of someone breathing next to her ear.

She took off. Blindly ran in the opposite direction of whatever that thing was.

That was a mistake.

She something caught her foot. Whether it was a rock or perhaps a hand she wasn't sure. The preteen had no time to think and just barely caught herself, her nose scant millimeters away from smacking headlong into the earth beneath. Her palms and knees stung where they met the jagged earth and she gasped in pain.

Dreams didn't feel like this. She was sure of that.

The brunette was hit by a blast of cold air that very nearly stole her breath away.

Right. She needed to get up, and by some miracle she managed to do just that.

Move. Her hand shot out blindly, and found purchase on one of the walls of the tunnel. More jagged rocks dug into her palm, it was as if the rocks had grown sharper, like the maw of a beast. She ignored it as she took several careful steps.

Whatever was behind her made no move to attack her, and she began to wonder if it could even see in this tunnel devoid of light.

Or perhaps it was toying with her?

A shiver not caused by the cold wind shook her slight frame as she took a few more tentative steps.

Her hand smoothed across something that was no jagged. In fact, it was rather smooth. Tentative fingers brushed across and she pushed on it. There was a groan.

 _A...door?_

She squinted against a new light that appeared right in front of her from inside the doorway. The shape was boxy, and it clicked in her mind seconds later, a lantern. The person-no, creature holding it in a gnarled hand was tall. _Very_ tall.

The beast before her was bipedal. The lantern illuminated their equally gnarled torso which was covered in patches of fur that were slicked back and oily.

A drowned rat came to mind.

She looked up higher to take in the rest of its form.

The thing's eyes were glowing dully and had a silver film over the top, and at first, she believed it was blind. That notion was soon proven false as it's eyes met hers. Pupils focused intently on her.

It stooped low, and she took an automatic step backwards.

"Greetings," they spoke, and the voice was masculine.

She kept her mouth shut, and a deep rumble was heard.

"Smart girl," they complimented. "Someone taught you not to speak to strangers I presume."

It wasn't a question. Just an observation.

She had questions herself, but more than anything she wanted to put as much distance between her and the creature as soon as possible.

"Hm, dedicated, aren't we?" they chuckled.

Somehow, she worked up the courage to speak.

"W…who and what are you?"

They remained where they were, and blinked slowly.

"What I am is easy enough to say."

A sweltering heat stole her breath away and she almost fell backwards. Then, just as soon as the heat had been there, suffocating her, it was gone. The cold air returned, and she shivered. Though she was not certain that the cold was solely to blame.

"A demon, my dear," came a purr.

She gagged at the sudden smell of rot and decay that followed the sweltering heat, her hand coming up to cup over her mouth and nose. It was a feeble attempt to ward off the stench.

"A-and y-your name?"

They clicked their tongue, or at least that's what came to mind as the noise emitted from the hunched over figure. She was doing her best not to look them directly in the face.

"Now that," their tone was grave. "Is something I cannot say."

They placed the lantern on the ground and began scribbling in the dirt within the perimeter of the light. Whatever they were doing was finished quickly.

They motioned for her to look, and the girl stepped forward nervously. What was she doing listening to this thing? She should be running!

Yes, every instinct was telling her to turn around and take off in the opposite direction.

But…

The possibility of answers was too good to pass up, and she was not sure that running headlong into the darkness would get her any better results then just listening to what this demon had to say.

Looking at what they had scribbled onto the ground she noticed it was the kanji for her name. She blinked rabidly before her eyes moved up to meet the demon's.

Their smile grew feral and she took a shaky step backwards. Pointy teeth that could easily rend the flesh from her bones greeted her.

Answers and darkness be damned.

"Now, now," they murmured in a voice that was supposed to be placating, but only served to unnerve her further with its timbre. "You asked me my name, did you not?"

She nodded her head.

"But that's my name," she noted, confused.

"Indeed," they agreed. "But I want to show you something about names."

They beckoned her forward, but she remained glued to the spot and craned her neck to see what they were doing with her name. She was not an idiot. The more distance she kept between them the better chance she had of living through this encounter. The demon did not press her further, and simply brought their claws across her name, scratching a shallow line through it.

She felt a jolt in her chest, and clutched the fabric of her dress where her heart was. The girl's knees almost buckled, but she remained on her trembling feet with some effort. A fine sheen of sweat appeared on her forehead as their claw raked through another section of her name and she bit her lip at the pain.

"I'm afraid I cannot tell you my name. Names," they said, eyes boring into hers as they took another niche out of her name. Her legs buckled finally, and she found herself brought to her knees, scrapping them against the jagged stones beneath. Yuzu's eyes never left the demon's and they swiped their palm across her name, destroying it completely which caused the pain to ebb away. "Have power."

She stood shakily as they did. The beast picked up the lantern as they stood.

Yuzu's legs felt like jelly now, and she wasn't sure she would be able to run even if she wanted to, and right now she was beginning to really want to as the monster towered over her.

The girl managed another shaky step backward, and thanked her lucky stars that she did not fall.

"It won't be long now," the demon murmured. They said no more on the subject, but she had a good idea of what wouldn't take much longer. Their face twitched and they seemed to contemplate something. "Though now that I have you here…"

They took a step forward.

She took a step back in turn.

Once more she was reminded that they were tall. Incredibly tall. There was no ceiling here, but there was no doubt in her mind that they would easily hit their head in a doorway back at the clinic.

Silver eyes gleamed dully, and a toothy grin spread across their face.

"Worried?" they questioned, and she glared though it lacked any real force behind it as she trembled there. "Wondering what will become of you once I'm finished?"

She gritted her teeth, and turned to make a break for it. As she expected a clawed hand lunged out and grabbed her arm, and though she expected it she still flinched. The demon's hand was like brimstone and molten fire. She bit back a cry and could do nothing as she was lifted into the air.

She tried to wriggle free, but their strength was too great. Her next desperate action was to claw at the hand, and she even contemplated biting down on the disgusting flesh to get free, but just like her previous efforts of escape that yielded nothing.

"Thank you for the meal, Kurosaki Yuzu."

Hot breath ghosted across her face and she flinched.

"Geez, this guy doesn't know how to treat little kids, does he?" a snide voice piped up and for a moment everything froze.

"No, he doesn't, does he?" an older woman's voice joined the first.

"Thinking we should teach 'em some manners?"

"I think for once we agree on something, Timothy, my dear."

* * *

 **Author's Note:** Uh, here's another chapter. I should probably go back once this whole fic is complete and redo it, but I suppose I'll cross that bridge when I get to it. Things are escalating quickly.


End file.
